My thoughts on the Phillies season.

Two early four-run innings do in the Phils as they lose to the Mets, 9-5.

The Phils are unable to overcome two early four-run innings as they fall to the Mets, 9-5.

The Mets jump to a quick 1-0 lead in the first as, with a runner on third, and with nobody out, Justin Turner hits an RBI ground out, 6-3, scoring Jose Reyes, who had earlier tripled, thanks in part to Raul Ibanez trying to make a diving catch on a ball he should had let drop in for a single, and then got past him. The Mets then took a 2-0 lead as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Jason Bay, who had earlier singled, then went to third base on Daniel Murphy’s single, scores on Jimmy Rollins’ fielding error of an Angel Pagan grounder that he was unable to grab cleanly, allowing Pagan to be safe at first, while Murphy, who had earlier singled, would reach second base. The Mets then took a 3-0 lead as Josh Thole hits an RBI single, scoring Murphy, while sending Pagan to second base. Ruben Tejada then gave the Mets a 4-0 lead with an RBI single, knocking in Pagan, while sending Thole to second base. The Mets then added to their lead in the second as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Murphy hits an RBI single, scoring Carlos Beltran, who had earlier doubled, then went to third on Bay’s single, giving the Mets a 5-0 lead, while sending Bay, who had just singled, up to second base. The Mets then made it a 6-0 lead as Pagan hits an RBI single, knocking in Bay, while sending Murphy over to third. The Mets then took an 8-0 lead as Thole hits a two-run double, scoring both Murphy and Pagan, before being caught off of second base, and then being tagged out, 9-5-6, for the final out. The Phils got a run back in the third as, with the bases loaded, via a single by Dane Sardinha, who then moved up to second base as Rollins is safe at first as Reyes commits a fielding error as he let the ball go between his legs on Rollins’ grounder, and then a single by Wilson Valdez, moving both Sardinha and Rollins up a base, and with two men out, Placido Polanco hits an RBI single, scoring Sardinha, making it an 8-1 Mets’ lead, while sending Rollins to third base, and Valdez up to second base. The Mets would get the run back in the fifth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Reyes hits an RBI triple, his second triple of the game, scoring Thole, who had earlier singled, giving the Mets a 9-1 lead. The Phils then started a comeback attempt in the eighth as Ibanez hits a lead-off home run, his seventh home run of the year, making it a 9-2 Mets’ lead. Four batters later, with one man on, and with two men out, Sardinha hits an RBI double, knocking in Ben Francisco, who had earlier singled, cutting the Mets’ lead down to 9-3. The Phils then cut it down to 9-4 as pinch hitter Dom Brown hits an RBI single, knocking in Sardinha. The Phils then cut it down to 9-5 in the ninth as, with one man on, and with two men out, Francisco hits an RBI double, scoring Ibanez, who had just walked. But that would be the final score as John Mayberry, Jr. ended the game by striking out, swinging.

Vance Worley (2-1, 3.75) took the lost as he pitched three innings, giving up eight runs, five of which were earned, on twelve hits, while striking out one, as he was not sharped yesterday, and getting no help from the defense. Kyle Kendrick pitched three innings, giving up a run on three hits, while striking out two. J.C. Romero pitched a sharp 1-2-3 inning. Danys Baez pitched a scoreless inning, getting himself out of a bases loaded jam, giving up two hits and a walk. Jon Niese (4-5, 3.92) gets the win as he pitched six and one-third innings, giving up an unearned run on five hits and four walks, while striking out six. Taylor Buchholz pitched an inning and a third, giving up three runs on four hits, while striking out one. Pedro Beato pitched an inning and a third, giving up a run on a hit and a walk, while striking out one.

The Phils had eleven hits in the game, with Jimmy Rollins (Singles), Ben Francisco (Single, Double, RBI) and Dane Sardinha (Single, Double, RBI) all leading the team with two hits each. Wilson Valdez (Single), Placido Polanco (Single, RBI), Raul Ibanez (Home Run, RBI), John Mayberry, Jr. (Double) and pinch hitter Dom Brown (Single, RBI), had the other five Phils’ hit, as the Phils’ offense was unable to climb out of an early hole.

The Phils (33-20, 1st) starts the first game of a three game series with the Nationals (22-30, 5th), which is already in progress.

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